Now that King's party lost elections in Pakistan, it is interesting (and important) to see what Musharraf does next.
Here is a nice primer and things that can happen next in Pakistan.
http://www.rediff.com/...
They (US and other Western countries) would like to work for a co-habitation arrangement with Musharraf as the president and Amin Fahim or Shahbaz Sharif as the prime minister. Will they succeed or will Musharraf have to quit? The answer to this question lies as much in Washington DC as in Islamabad. Musharraf still has some wriggle room, if he wants to exercise it. Will he wriggle or call it quits?
More below the fold.
Important thing to nore is that - currently Pakistan's president is powerful - more like France's president than Britain's Queen. Musharraf changed the constitution to ensure that.
Nawaz Sharif, whose party won a two-third majority in the 1996 elections, used this majority to abolish the power of the President to dismiss the elected prime minister. After seizing power in October,1999, Pervez Musharraf [Images] had this power restored in the Constitution. He also instituted the National Security Council chaired by the President, and transferred to the President all powers relating to decision-making in foreign policy and national security matters.
The Constitution, as repeatedly re-cast by Musharraf, resembles more the French than the Indian Constitution. Musharraf, therefore, need not necessarily resign because his opponents or critics have secured a majority in the elections.
There are important cases against both Zardari (Bhutto's husband) and Nawaz Sheriff that are in the courts. Nawaz Sheriff wants the dismissed justices back - since that way they would rule against Musharraf and get rid of him. Zardari does not like the idea since the case against him (killing of Benezir Bhutto's brother) has kept dragging on in the courts.
In any case, since Bhutto's PPP has won the largest number of seats - but not a majority - it needs to form a govt with the help of other parties.
The election results have highlighted an interesting outcome. No party has acquired a majority on its own. The PPP has emerged as the largest single party and will, therefore, have the right to be called first to attempt to form a government. It will have two options--- either form the government in co-operation with the PML-N or in co-operation with PML (Qaid-e-Azam) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement of Altaf Hussain -- both supporters of Musharraf.
So, what will Zardari do ? What will Shariff do ... and ultimately what will Musharraf do ?
Already Musharraf has fired the first shot.
Musharraf pushes Swiss to prosecute Zardari : http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
Government lawyers urged a court in Geneva to prosecute Zardari - whose Pakistan People's party won the most seats in Monday's election - on 10-year-old charges of stashing $55m in kickbacks in a Swiss bank account.
I guess, we will have to just watch and see who wins the 3-D chess game.